Class Catalog

There’s a class for everyone.

Long-time writer or just getting started? Writing an epic poem or a short story? Whoever you are and wherever your passions lie—if you want to write, there’s a Hugo House class for you. Explore our catalog and find yours.

When we say we want our classes to be for everyone, we mean it.

Memoir, Novel, Short Story, Essay, Fiction, Nonfiction

Carry On: A Post-Yearlong Workshop Craft Studio

Instructor: Kirsten Sundberg Lunstrum. For writers who have completed a yearlong workshop in prose and are developing manuscripts, with focused discussions on issues of craft and a casual tour through Charles Baxter's Burning Down the House: Essays on Fiction.

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Level: Advanced
Length: 4 sessions
Start: July 12, 2023 , 6:00pm PT
Format: Online
Fiction, Nonfiction, Poetry, Memoir, Novel, Short Story, Essay

Faves & Frenemies: Learning from Books You Love & Hate

Instructor: Rachel Sobel. In this workshop, we'll discuss how to learn from books you love, books you hate, and everything in between, with close attention to the technique on the page.

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Level: Intermediate, Advanced
Length: 4 sessions
Start: July 13, 2023 , 5:00pm PT
Format: In Person
Fiction, Nonfiction

Sentences ARE the Story

Instructor: Mary Lane Potter. Learn to build sentences that grip the reader, evoke tone, deepen mood, reveal character, advance plot, and help a narrative breathe.

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Level: Open to all levels
Length: 1 session
Start: July 15, 2023 , 1:10pm PT
Format: In Person
Fiction

Tarot for Character Development

Instructor: Kris Waldherr. Learn Tarot-based techniques to develop backstory, character arcs, and more.

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Level: Intermediate, Advanced
Length: 1 session
Start: July 15, 2023 , 1:10pm PT
Format: Online
Fiction, Nonfiction, Poetry, The Writing Life

What Happens After You Write? Understanding Your Publishing Choices

Instructor: Beth Jusino. Take an unbiased, unvarnished look at current publishing options and how to approach them, examining the pros and cons of each choice, realistic costs, income potential and more.

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Level: Introductory, Intermediate
Length: 1 session
Start: July 15, 2023 , 1:10pm PT
Format: In Person
Fiction, Reading

2×4: Two Weeks, Four New Speculative Stories

Instructor: Tara Campbell. Suitable for a wide audience, this two-week generative course features readings and prompts for students to create four new speculative fiction stories.

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Level: Intermediate, Advanced
Length: 2 sessions
Start: July 15, 2023 , 10:00am PT
Format: Online
Fiction

The Elegance of Compression

Instructor: Kirsten Sundberg Lunstrum. We'll examine short stories considering elements of craft, specifically how the stories "turn" rather than "close" to achieve complexity often attributed only to longer works. 

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Level: Advanced, Intermediate
Length: 1 session
Start: July 15, 2023 , 10:00am PT
Format: Online
Fiction, Nonfiction, Poetry, Short Story

FLASH! Writing Short Forms

Instructor: Sally Ashton. This generative workshop takes a comparative look at the prose poem, brief essay, and flash fiction, with writing prompts to experiment in each genre.

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Level: Intermediate, Advanced
Length: 1 session
Start: July 16, 2023 , 1:10pm PT
Format: Online
Short Story, Fiction, Nonfiction, Poetry

Creative Writing Scribes for 7-8th grade

In this exploratory camp, students will engage with artistic activities, embark on field trips in-person and virtually, and write to creative prompts all designed to ignite their imaginations. The week will culminate with a reading and/or presentation of student work.

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Level: Open to all levels
Length: 5 sessions
Start: July 17, 2023 , 10:00am PT
Format: In Person
Novel, Fiction, Nonfiction, The Writing Life

Finishing Your Book

Instructor: Peter Mountford. For anyone struggling to finish their book, with discussions on revision, productivity, and the business of finding an agent/publisher.

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Level: Open to all levels
Length: 8 sessions
Start: July 17, 2023 , 12:00am PT
Format: Online Asynchronous
Fiction, Nonfiction, Poetry

Worth 1,000 Words: Using Data to Create Narratives

Instructor: Kevin O'Rourke. Discuss and read data-centric writing and examine the storytelling possibilities that data offers.

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Level: Open to all levels
Length: 4 sessions
Start: July 20, 2023 , 7:10pm PT
Format: In Person
Fiction, Nonfiction, Poetry

Bring Your Writing to Life with Sensory Details

Instructor: April Dávila. This session will begin with a series of meditations on touch, sight, sound, smell, and taste, from which we will then practice integrating and workshopping our observations into our writing.

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Level: Introductory
Length: 1 session
Start: July 22, 2023 , 1:10pm PT
Format: Online
Fiction

Story Openings: Beyond “Once Upon a Time”

Instructor: Tina Tocco. Students will walk away with at least one new version of their story opening plus a fresh perspective on how reimagining an intro can alter point of view, pace, and more. 

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Level: Intermediate
Length: 1 session
Start: July 22, 2023 , 1:10pm PT
Format: Online
Fiction, Nonfiction

Comics & Graphic Novels Scribes for 5-6th grade

Learn the fundamentals of making comics and graphic novels in this half-day, week-long camp, focusing on a different theme or genre each day. The week will culminate with a reading and/or presentation of student work.

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Level: Open to all levels
Length: 5 sessions
Start: July 24, 2023 , 1:00pm PT
Format: Online
Fiction

Fairy Tales & Fantasy Scribes for 5-6th grade

In this camp, wonder is the key to unlocking your imagination! Expect to read fairy tales and folklore from different cultures, discuss characters, settings, and themes, and create your own fictional wonder tales. The week will culminate with a reading and/or presentation of student work.

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Level: Open to all levels
Length: 5 sessions
Start: July 24, 2023 , 10:00am PT
Format: Online
Fiction

Fiction I

Instructor: Ramon Isao. This class will introduce students to workshopping, the craft of fiction writing, and how to build a writing practice. We'll read and discuss published work with guided writing prompts that correspond to our discussions.

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Level: Introductory
Length: 6 sessions
Start: July 27, 2023 , 5:00pm PT
Format: Online
Poetry, The Writing Life, Fiction, Nonfiction

Narrative Reclamation for People of Color

Instructor: Zain Shamoon. This class is dedicated to the role of storytelling in finding relief from distress; students will learn how to use storytelling for personal and communal reclamation.

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Level: Open to all levels
Length: 2 sessions
Start: July 29, 2023 , 1:10pm PT
Format: Online
Fiction, Reading

Weirdly Ordinary

Instructor: Greg November. This generative one-day workshop is all about learning how to create credible weirdness in fiction. 

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Level: Introductory
Length: 1 session
Start: July 29, 2023 , 1:10pm PT
Format: In Person
Fiction, Nonfiction, Poetry

Field Trips & Hidden Portals: Finding Inspiration in the Everyday

Instructor: Amy Bowers, Allison Elis. In this generative class, we will (re)learn to open our eyes, send you on local outings, and build a tool kit that turns the messy world into that dreamy writing office.

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Level: Open to all levels
Length: 4 sessions
Start: July 30, 2023 , 10:00am PT
Format: Online
Fiction

Writing for Television

Instructor: Andrew Bell. This course explores the fundamentals of TV writing, collaborate on “spec” scripts, and develop and pitch our own original series. 

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Level: Introductory, Intermediate
Length: 6 sessions
Start: August 1, 2023 , 7:10pm PT
Format: Online
Fiction

World Building: Outside and In

Instructor: Scott Driscoll. This class will explore the juxtaposition of characters' exterior worlds, such as place, culture, and the atmosphere, with the interior world of needs, wants, fears, and more.

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Level: Open to all levels
Length: 6 sessions
Start: August 2, 2023 , 7:10pm PT
Format: Online
Fiction, Nonfiction, Poetry, Memoir

Unlocking the Vault: Using Our Personal Archive

Instructor: Molly Schaeffer. Mining our own notes and fragments for use in writing prompts, we'll recycle and experiment with our own words, utilizing techniques including collage, mapping, poetry, and memoir.

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Level: Open to all levels
Length: 4 sessions
Start: August 3, 2023 , 10:00am PT
Format: Online
Fiction, Novel

Rock a Romance Novel

Instructor: Wendy Kendall. Learn what makes a romance novel that readers love, with in-depth analysis of creating characters and emotions through scene structure, story arc, and purposeful writing.

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Level: Introductory, Intermediate
Length: 1 session
Start: August 5, 2023 , 1:10pm PT
Format: Online
Fiction

FREE Creative Laboratory/Laboratorio Creativo

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Level: Open to all levels
Length: 1 session
Start: August 5, 2023 , 1:10pm PT
Format: Online